Hump Day!

So, a couple of things on my mind today. 

Thanks to my friend Val for transporting, I got the three black kittens back yesterday, much to the dismay of their first days of life caregivers.  The Girls of Caledonia.  Sounds like a Playboy photo shoot.  😀.  I met a girl named Kim who became pretty much one of my first fosters.  She fostered many kitties for me, turned these street cats into mushballs, and also foster failed with two other kitties I rescued, who now have a great home with her and her family.  She then recommended her friend Amanda, if I ever needed another foster.  And very soon after she mentioned that, I did need another foster.  And that was Marti from Melville, who became a foster failure for Amanda!  Then came Chewy!  She has been fostering Chewy for me for months now, and has really made a change in this little girls semi-feral demeanor to being a loving house cat.  Chewy will be adopted next month by a wonderful couple when they return from Florida.  Fast forward, the kittens that were born the day after Easter, in my mom's back yard.  Mookie, Dixie and Bear were in the kind and loving care of Amanda and her friends (Amanda recently went on a vacation).  They were still being bottle fed round the clock.

I received a call from one of the girls who told me Mookie had some bathroom issues going on so I thought now was as good a time as any to take them back.  Even though it is another hardship for me - ALL extra cats, in my opinion, are work!  They are as cute as buttons, and have been feeding from the bottle like mad.  But its time to be weaned.  So I need to get as much advice, and supplies as possible to begin this process. Hopefully it will be quick.  I gave them a taste and pointed their tiny faces into a saucer of milk, and I actually got them lapping once or twice!  Of course, I then cleaned their little faces off with a warm washcloth.  I will next get some soft pate food, and mix with formula and put in dropper and get them to get a taste of real food.  And so we begin.

I always feel terrible taking the kittens away from their fosters.  Especially when they have fed them from that early stage on.  They get so attached.  But its a lot of work for the caregiver, and my friend Amanda has some other kittens under her care that hopefully will be a nice distraction for her when she returns from her vacation. 

The kitten in the garbage can a few houses down from me wound up being picked up yesterday, after the neighbor scooped it up in the morning, after unsuccessfully trying to get it into trap (it was a bit wild), and placed it on his porch and left for work.  I put it out there on Facebook, and a friend Julie came by and took HER home, named her Gracie, and will now go through the process of trying to get kitty adopted after she is vetted.  Would love to know the story with that one!  If only cats could tell.

Stripey and Swirley.  Now here is a story that makes me sad, and anxious.  A friend who adopted two kittens last year from me offered to take these two siblings to foster after I trapped them for spay and neuter.  I had every intention to return them back to the streets, even though they were sweet to me each morning, but I never have enough fosters.  Well, Sue stepped in, and I was thankful.  They were completely frightened after their surgeries.  We put them in a large cage in her house, and proceeded to get them less frightened, and more socialized being indoors.  Well, somehow, that backfired, and they have regressed.   Luckily, there is a kind woman out there that offered to take them BOTH.  She will keep them in a room until acclimated (which could be a long time!) and this Saturday will be the transfer.  I just feel terrible about the situation, as I believe they are worse than the first day in captivity.  I am not sure what could have been done differently.  I am not the expert at everything cat related.

So those are the few things on my mind.  Oh, and Connor.  Connor has lots of interest from potential adopters, but has some physical issues going on.  Thanks to my wonderful friend Kristin, and her husband Darrin, they will be taking him into their vet for a THIRD opinion!  We've got to fix this boy! Another shout out to sweet foster Joanne for loving him during this time.

Have a great day!

"You are somebody's reason to smile."